Composite structures often include a laminate structure in which sheets of a composite material, such as a pre-impregnated (or prepreg) material, may be bent, wrapped, and/or otherwise extended between a first plane, or surface, and a second plane, or surface. The finite thickness and/or mechanical stiffness of the sheets of composite material result in a finite bend, or radius of curvature, in a transition region between the first surface and the second surface; and, in some geometries, this finite radius of curvature results in a void space, or cavity, between adjacent sheets of composite material.
This void space may be filled with, or otherwise occupied by, a filler material, such as a radius filler. The radius filler may be configured to provide mechanical support to the sheets of composite material that are proximal thereto and/or to decrease a potential for distortion of the sheets of composite material while the composite structure is curing. Thus, it may be desirable to closely match the shape of the radius filler to a shape, or a desired shape, of the void space.
Traditional radius fillers often utilize a single length of composite material that may be creased in a number of locations to form an accordion shape and then molded to a final desired shape. Alternatively, the traditional radius fillers may utilize a plurality of lengths of composite material that are manually stacked, one on top of the other, to form a plurality of parallel planes of composite material. These approaches may not permit tight control of the shape of the radius filler and/or may be labor-intensive. Thus, there exists a need for improved systems and methods for forming radius fillers for composite structures.